Court Grants ICPC Temporary Control of Abuja Land Meant for Jonathan’s Legacy Housing Estate

A Federal High Court in Abuja has approved an interim forfeiture request by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), granting it temporary possession of two large land plots originally allocated for the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Model Housing Estate in Abuja’s Kaba District.

The court order aims to halt any attempt to sell or develop the plots while the ICPC investigates alleged corruption surrounding the failed housing project. The two properties, covering nearly 280,000 square meters, were valued at over ₦1.9 billion and ₦3.3 billion respectively at the time of allocation.

The land was assigned by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for a 962-unit low-cost housing scheme to be executed through a partnership between the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN) and private developer, Good Earth Power Nigeria Limited. However, despite a $65 million (₦14 billion) loan disbursed for the project, the ICPC found that no housing units were ever built. The developer, notably, was not accredited with the appropriate regulatory body required for such deals.

Raising the alarm, the ICPC stated that there were attempts to quietly dispose of the land, echoing concerns over how the disbursed funds vanished without tangible results. With the land’s current market value reportedly soaring to over ₦200 billion, the commission believes those involved—including some foreign nationals—have gone into hiding.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who issued the interim forfeiture order, also gave permission for the ICPC to publish a public notice inviting potential claimants to come forward. He further questioned how such a large sum could be fully released without any visible work. The case has been adjourned to October 27 for further proceedings.